[Event "FIDE Candidates Chess Tournaments 2024"] [Site "Toronto"] [Date "2024.04.21"] [Round "14"] [White "Lei, Tingjie"] [Black "Koneru, Humpy"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2550"] [BlackElo "2546"] [Annotator "WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E24"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation"] [StudyName "2024 FIDE Candidates and Women's Candidates Annotations Part II"] [ChapterName "Lei, Tingjie - Koneru, Humpy"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/1tCLzmR6/vK6aZbnn"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 { Lei, needing a win with White to force Tan to score a result, understandably chooses a Nimzo structure where Black doubles the white pawns but White gets the two bishops and a center. } 4... Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 b6 6. f3 d6 7. e4 Nc6 8. Bd3 Na5 9. Bg5!? { The computer does not approve of this bishop sortie, but it appears to have been deep preparation by her. } (9. f4 { is more commonly discussed. }) 9... h6 10. Bh4 g5 11. Bf2 Ba6 12. h4 Rg8 13. Ne2 Nd7 (13... Qe7 { deserved attention too, but Lei was likely planning to play in a similar fashion. } 14. c5 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 dxc5 16. Qa6 { with chances for both sides. }) (13... c6!? { A very peculiar move — aimed against c4-c5 — was also possible here. } 14. c5 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 dxc5 { The point is now } 16. Qa6? { is bad due to } 16... c4 { and the queen is locked in! }) 14. c5 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 dxc5 16. e5 { Lei was still playing almost instantaneously. } 16... Qe7 { It would have been intriguing to find out what Lei's plan was after } (16... f5!? { which thwarts White's idea of Ne2-g3-e4. }) 17. hxg5 hxg5 18. Qa6 { Stopping 0-0-0, and inviting Humpy to lock in White's queen and trap it. } 18... c4 19. Ng3 c6 { The cage is shut, but in the meantime White drums up her own play. } 20. Ne4 Kd8 { A very natural reaction, dodging the check on d6 and cutting off the c8-square from White's queen while preparing ... Nd7-b8 to trap it. } (20... Qf8! { is the machine's suggestion, preventing the type of play White got in the game with Rh1-h7. } 21. Rh7 (21. Nd6+? Ke7 $19 { with ... Nd7-b8 to follow. }) (21. Rb1! { was probably Lei's preparation: } 21... Ke7 22. Ke2! Nb8 23. Qxa5! bxa5 24. d5! exd5 25. Bc5+ Ke6 26. Bxf8 dxe4 27. Rh6+ Rg6 28. Rd1 Nd7 29. Rd6+ Kxe5 30. Rhxg6 fxg6 31. Be7 Nb6 32. Rxg6 Nd5 { and if Black made it this far on their own, then you tip your cap to them. }) 21... Ke7!! { is the brilliant point. The queen and king combine to take care of the threats on f7 while the other black pieces trap the white queen. } 22. Nd6? Nb8 $19) 21. Nd6 Kc7 { Controlling the c8-square with the g8-rook so now ... Nd7-b8 is a real threat. } 22. Rh7! { Lei continues unfazed. White understands that the queen will be lost, but the knight on d6 is like a powerful octopus. With rooks coming in from both sides, White will have more than enough compensation. } 22... Nb8 23. Qxa5! bxa5 24. Rb1! { Lei still has barely spent any time, so if indeed this was her preparation, then she showed incredible foresight to predict the type of moves that would be tempting to Humpy! } (24. Rxf7? Qxf7 25. Nxf7 Nd7 { cashes in too early and Black emerges ahead. }) 24... Nd7 25. Rb7+ Kd8 { Here, Lei finally paused for a big think, and unfortunately ruined a piece of ingenious preparation. } 26. Nxf7+? { A decision that's quite difficult to fathom. } (26. Be3!! { is the silicon monster's suggestion. White simply increases the pressure on Black's position, and Black is really struggling for moves. } 26... c5!! { is just about Black's only move. The idea is Black has nothing better to do, and she wants to take on d4 to create counterplay in the form of a passed c-pawn. } (26... Rb8? { loses to } 27. Bxg5! Rxg5 28. Rh8+ Nf8 29. Rxb8+ $18) (26... f6?! 27. Rxe7 Kxe7 28. Ne4! { and Black's foundation is collapsing }) (26... Rf8?! 27. Rg7! { forces } 27... f6 28. Rxe7 Kxe7 29. Ne4 { and again Black is in trouble. } (29. Nxc4!?)) 27. Bxg5 (27. g4!? { is a good move! }) 27... Rxg5 28. Rh8+ Qf8 29. Rxf8+ Nxf8 30. Nxf7+ Kc8 31. Re7 Rxg2 32. Nd6+ Kd8 33. Re8+ Kd7 34. Rxa8 cxd4 35. cxd4 c3 36. Rxa7+ Kc6 37. Rxa5 c2 38. Rc5+ Kd7 { and, with ... Nf8-g6-f4 coming, Black seems to have just enough counterplay. }) (26. Rxf7 { is sensible too: } 26... Qxf7 27. Nxf7+ Ke7 28. Nd6 Rgb8 (28... Rab8 29. Rxa7) 29. Be3 Rxb7 30. Bxg5+ Kf8 31. Nxb7 { with chances for both sides. }) 26... Kc8 27. Nd6+ Qxd6 28. exd6 Kxb7 29. Rxd7+ Ka6 { Due to White's hastiness in cashing out her dominant grip over Black's position, Black has more than just survived. Black has the extra Exchange, and White's pawn on d6 is not as dangerous as it looks since the two black rooks hold the eighth rank. In addition, Black has the dangerous plan of ... Ka6-b5-a4, after which the black pawns will be running too! } 30. Re7 (30. a4! { was a good idea to lock Black's king out. } 30... Rgd8 31. Re7 Rxd6 32. Bg3 { White probably makes a draw here, but not more. }) 30... Kb5 31. Rxe6? { The decisive mistake. Now all of Black's pieces come to life: both rooks and the king enter with a purpose. } (31. d7! Ka4 32. Kd2! Kxa3 33. Kc2 { was necessary to shoulder Black's king, but again here White is at most making a draw, which was not enough given Lei's situation. } 33... g4 (33... Rab8 34. Bg3) 34. fxg4) 31... Ka4 32. Re5 (32. Kd2 Kxa3 33. Kc2 Rab8 $19 { and the rook entry is decisive. }) 32... Rad8 33. Kd2 Rxd6 34. Rc5 g4 35. f4 g3 { Great technique by Humpy to fix the g2-pawn as a weakness. } 36. Be3 Rh6 (36... Kb3! { Locking down the white king before going for the g2-pawn was stronger. } 37. Rxa5 Rh6 { and ... Rh6-h2 will decide the game. }) 37. Ke2 (37. Kc2 { was one last try: } 37... Rh2 38. Rxc4+ Kb5 39. Kd3 Rxg2 40. d5! { with the idea to set up a mating net, but Black wins with just } 40... Rh2! (40... cxd5? 41. a4+! Ka6 42. Rc7) 41. a4+ Ka6 42. Rxc6+ Kb7 $19) 37... Kxa3 (37... Kb3 $19) 38. Rxa5+ Kb3 39. d5 Kxc3 40. f5 Re8 41. dxc6 Rxc6 42. Kf3 a6 { Clinical. There's no reason to give up the a-pawn. } 43. Bf4 Kb2 44. Kxg3 c3 45. Ra4 c2 46. Kf2 c1=Q 47. Bxc1+ Kxc1 48. g4 Kb2 49. Rf4 Rf8 50. Kg3 Rc5 51. Kh4 a5 52. Kh5 Ra8 53. g5 a4 54. g6 a3 55. Kh6 a2 56. Rf2+ Rc2 57. Rf1 Rf8 58. g7 Rh2+ 59. Kg6 Rg2+ 60. Kh7 Rf7 61. Kh8 a1=Q 62. Rxa1 Kxa1 { A brilliant piece of preparation by Lei, but she couldn't follow it up correctly. Nevertheless, she can be proud of her performance and take solace in the fact that Tan wrapped up her tournament victory anyways. } 0-1